Service. Honor. Dedication.

The Montezuma Fire District serves approximately 9.6 square miles of the unincorporated areas of Southeast Stockton, and the Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Having a mix of industrial, residential, commercial, a section of Highway 99, together with the Stockton Metro Airport and the surrounding business park,

Airport Fire and Rescue

The Stockton Metropolitan Airport serves corporate and general aviation aircraft. It can accommodate large jet transports via an 10,680-foot primary instrument runway and a 4,458-foot general aviation runway. Approximately 250 private aircraft are based at the Stockton Airport. Allegiant Air offers flights to Las Vegas almost everyday of the week.

Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 8,100 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts, and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations, and Christmas trees. In addition, Christmas trees are involved in more than 400 fires annually, resulting in 30 deaths, 90 injuries, and an average of more than $17 million in property loss and damage.

Have a safe and happy holiday season by following these safety tips.

Trees

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green; needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

When setting up a tree at home, before you place the tree in a stand, cut 1 - 2 inches off the trunk base. Place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Lights

Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards.

Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.

Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples, not nails or tacks, to hold strings in place. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).

Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

For added electric-shock protection, plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.

Decorations

Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or non-leaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.

Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

After the Holidays

Get rid of the tree after Christmas or when it is dry. Dried out trees are fire dangers and should not be left in your home or garage.

If you put up you put up your tree right after Thanksgiving, it needs to be taken down the week after Christmas. After New Year's Eve even a well-watered tree can become a fire hazard. Recycle your Christmas tree if you can, for more information on collection sites click here

Bring outdoor electrical lights inside to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Debris Burning, Burn Days, and other Outdoor Burning questions

Reserve Firefighter opportunities

Events, Presentations, and PR requests

Safe Surrender Site

In San Joaquin County, Fire Deparments and Hospital emergency rooms have been designated as sites where a parent my voluntarily surrender physical custody of his or her infant .(72 hours old or less) Although infrequent, any time we can save a baby from being abandoned, we may have saved a life.

District Information

Stockton, and the Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Having a mix of industrial, residential, commercial, a section of Highway 99, together with the Stockton Metro Airport and the surrounding business park, this makes for very diverse and challenging scenarios during an incident. For more information about the services that we provide, training, the areas we cover, or employment opportunities within the department, please contact us using the links or info to the right.